3 Key Takeaways | Is Franchising Doomed? The 2024 Version
One Month to More Effective Compliance on Business Ventures - Day 19 - Franchisor Compliance
Is Franchising Doomed?
Strategies for Negotiating with a Franchisee and Franchisor
Day 20 of One Month to More Effective Compliance for Business Ventures-Franchisor Liability
The Eighth Circuit recently applied a novel, broad reading of the Missouri Franchise Act granting franchise protection to distributors which previously would not likely have been considered franchisees....more
A recent Texas Supreme Court decision fully overturned a jury’s finding that a franchisor was liable for the criminal actions of a franchisee’s employee. This decision underscores the importance of a franchisor having clearly...more
On May 2, 2025, the Texas Supreme Court reversed a Texas Court of Appeals’ decision that had affirmed a jury’s verdict finding a franchisor directly liable to the customer of a franchisee for actions undertaken by the...more
A New Jersey appellate court affirmed a state trial court’s ruling that a terminated retailer of custom outdoor kitchens was not in a franchise relationship with a manufacturer of outdoor grills and that the New Jersey...more
Last May, the Federal Trade Commission looked to ban non-compete agreements in most employment contracts aside from franchise agreements. Although scheduled to become effective in September, a federal court vacated the ruling...more
The Tennessee Court of Appeals reversed a district court’s dismissal of a franchisee’s declaratory judgment claim, finding that the claim was properly brought in Tennessee. Lakeway Real Estate2, LLC v. ERA Franchise Sys.,...more
An appellate court in California has affirmed a trial court’s rejection of more than $4 million in lost business profits, which appellant Glen Suh alleged in a breach of contract action against franchisor Boba Time, Inc. Suh...more
In Louis Degidio, Inc. v. Industrial Combustion, LLC, Louis Degidio, Inc. (Degidio) and Louis Degidio Services, Inc. (Degidio Services) sued Industrial Combustion, LLC (IC), a manufacturer of “institutional boiler system”...more
A state appellate court in New York recently held a franchisor was not entitled to unpaid royalty fees because of its own breach of a franchise agreement reinstated by preliminary injunction. Integrity Real Estate Consultants...more
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently affirmed a decision that a group of franchisees are not employees of their franchisor, even though the trial court failed to apply the correct test. Haitayan v. 7-Eleven, Inc., 2022...more
The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently issued an opinion concerning a dispute over a franchisor’s effort to mandate changes to a franchisee’s operations. The Court granted the franchisor a mixed result. The decision...more
Ninth Circuit Reverses Class Action Settlement Approval and Fee Award - The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed the approval of a $10 million voucher settlement and a $2.6 million attorneys’ fee award in a class...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reversed a trial court judgment against a Texas franchisor, finding the lower court erred in excusing an untimely renewal notice of area development agreements. The Court held a...more
Welcome to The Franchise Memorandum by Lathrop GPM. Below are summaries of recent legal developments of interest to franchisors. Fifth Circuit Reverses Trial Court’s Excusal of Area Representative’s Tardy Renewal Notice -...more
A federal appeals court reversed dismissal of a claim against a barbeque restaurant franchisor. The court found that, despite having signed releases in favor of the franchisor, a former franchisee had valid claims for...more
In a case that should grab the attention of franchisors across the country, a panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has ruled that McDonald’s Corporation is not the joint employer of the employees of a...more
Winter is coming for franchisors in California. Last year, the California Supreme Court decided to hold California businesses liable for the violation of Massachusetts labor statutes when it adopted the ABC test for...more
The Ninth Circuit sent shockwaves through the franchise industry in ruling that last year’s California Supreme Court decision broadening who may bring wage misclassification claims (Dynamex v. Superior Court) applied...more
On June 21 the U.S. Supreme Court reversed prior case law and let states tax online retailers that do not have physical presence in the state. The ruling also has significant implications for franchise systems that sell...more
Yesterday, in South Dakota vs. WayFair, Inc., et al., the United States Supreme Court (“Court”) overturned long-standing precedents that required an out-of-state Seller to have a physical presence in a state to collect...more
In a recent decision, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a franchisee’s claim that the franchisor’s termination decision violated the New Jersey Franchise Practices Act (NJFPA)...more
The far-reaching implications of this decision could change the existing franchise business model. Is a franchisor a statutory employer of its franchisee’s employees? The Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board thinks so,...more
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a decision by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri which rejected the contention that an arbitration agreement was unconscionable, and unenforceable under the Federal...more
On April 1, 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit thoroughly shot down claims brought by franchisees of Doctors Express Franchising. Those claims asserted that Doctors Express misrepresented initial start-up...more